Outrageous Brownies

These are my go-to for bake sales, open houses, any party with more than six people, and glum days when only an actual pound of butter will make me feel better.

Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

12” x 18” sheet pan

Ingredients

1 lb unsalted butter

1 lb plus 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips

6 oz unsweetened chocolate

6 extra-large eggs

3 Tbsp instant coffee granules (I have left this out when I didn't have any; it adds a great flavor boost, but without it your brownies will be merely very good, rather than outrageous)

2 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

2 1/4 c sugar

1 1/4 c all-purpose flour (divided)

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

3 c chopped walnuts (optional – if you leave them out, you may want to add more chocolate chips instead. I like to mix in some white chocolate chips; mint also works if you have them.)

1.  Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 12x18x1-inch baking sheet.
2. Melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmer water. Allow to cool slightly.
3. In a large bowl, stir together (do not beat) the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar.
4. Stir the warm chocolate into the eggs mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.
5. In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate.
6. Toss the walnuts and remaining chocolate chips with the remaining 1/4 c flour, then add them to the batter. Pour into the baking sheet.
7. Bake 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force out any air bubbles. Bake another 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut.

These are definitely better after a night in the fridge to set up, but they don’t need to be refrigerated beyond that (they do freeze nicely). Ina, bless her, suggests cutting these into "20 large squares.” I cut them into much smaller pieces!